{wraps} favorites of 2012
{girl reading by emma leonard}
it is proving inevitable that I will read something on New Year’s Eve that will edge itself onto a favorites list. Sarah Beth Durst’s Vessel was a serious contender, but Cath Crowley’s Graffiti Moon did slip into the Top 3 YA reads. so without further ado, I will close out 2012 properly with contemplating my favorite reads of the years.
I read quite a few COMICS of varying fashions and for various ages…but the first two were the easiest picks:
Pluto(vol 1-7) Pluto (vol 8) by Urasawa x Tezuka
The Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire (review pending)
with a special mention of the lovely final installment of Amelia Rules! : Her Permanent Record by Jimmy Gownley (review pending)
I read a lot more PICTURE BOOKS this year, I’m sure 31 in 31 Days in October didn’t hurt. So many good ones and these still linger:
Nora the Mind Reader by Orit Gidal, illus. Aya Gordon-Noy
the little bit scary people by Emily Jenkins, Illus Alexandra Boiger
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
Juvenile
My Name is Mina by David Almond… no surprise here.
Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin…so taken with this author this year.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate…a sweet surprise. [review pending]
Young Adult
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley…lovely lovely writing, & just thoroughly enjoyed the story. [review pending
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness…one I wish I would have written.
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman…refreshing and impressive in so many ways.
Of the Older Crowd and the sort I plan to make more time for in 2013…
Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman…tough and brilliant.
You are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett…wow, mind-blowing
The Curfew by Jesse Ball…my love affair continues.
I anticipated plenty in the FILMS of 2012:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), dir. Peter Jackson
Brave (2012), dir. Mark Andrews & Brenda Chapman.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012), dir. Christopher Nolan
favorite foreign:
Les émotifs anonymes[Romantics Anonymous] (2010), Jean-Pierre Améris.
The Warrior’s Way (2010), dir. Sngmoo Lee
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011), dir David Gelb (documentary)
Television what does these all have in common? yeah… looking forward to at least one last season w/ Wallander and many more of the others:
Wallander, series 3 (2012), w/ Kenneth Brannaugh. Doctor Who, series 7. Sherlock, series 2. Downton Abbey, series 2.
Sean started and ended his year with Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles. He discovered China Mieville with Kraken and The City and The City. Both authors have unique storytelling styles and their stories are wholly original in their content. And a fun family quote from Kraken: “Billy says there’s a squid cult.”
Natalya has out-read us all: no shocker there. We lost count how many times she read Brandon Sanderson’s The Mistborn Trilogy alone. Who made her list?
Bunheads by Sophie Flack
a little wanting song by Cath Crowley
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Fly Trap by Frances Hardinge
The False Pirnce by Jennifer Nielsen
A Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
series: Flavia de Luce books by Alan Bradley, Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy, added the last 3 of The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowery.
I need to get to the last few collections of Amelia Rules now that they are done. Such a lovely story.
The One and Only Ivan is one I’ve almost picked up several times because of the cover. It just looks great.
All three films were great, and I’ll need to check out those other two foreign films you list.
Wallander was great, wasn’t it? I’m glad the first series is now on Netflix streaming so that Mary and I can go back and watch those ones. I’ve been enjoying Dr. Who this season despite its unevenness, but I gotta say I LOVED the Christmas Special. Really excited about this new companion.
I need to read Kraken. A friend sent me a copy last year and I’ve got to make an effort to get to it this year.
Natalya did great! Love her list.
sean just mentioned that Wallander was streaming now. and even though I was a bit put off by the uneveness of Doctor Who this season it had some of the most brilliant moments and the Christmas Special was really really exciting.
Kraken, I think, should be especially good because there are some very Sci-Fi nerdy things in there (seriously nerdy)..
I’m going to ask Gownley if they are going to do an omnibus or something like that. they’ve redone earlier covers to create a matched set. still missing a few volumes though.
I hope they do, his series deserves a really nice collection. Although the individual graphic novel collections are pretty nice.
I love how the Christmas Special tied into my favorite episode of the year, Asylum of the Daleks.
Oh, wow. The covers on every single one of these is gorgeous. I just stared for a while.
This is a lovely wrap-up.
thanks. and I went back to look at the covers…and you’re right. makes me think I should look back at past lists in wonder at just how much the family is influenced by a cover…at least two of us are very visual people.
L. this morning Andy handed over A Short History of Nearly Everything, so i think we have a pretty good idea of how the year is going to start.
Thank you for putting the wrap up together. It looks great.
I loved Brave, too. My house is filled with my Gaelic impersonations for days after watching the movie. Keisha snagged a deluxe blu-ray on Black Friday on the cheap, so we’ve watched it o’er and o’er.
Great list, L. Thanks for the recommendations. (I’m keeping an eye out for the Pluto series.)
Wow! Your whole family had a really great year of reading/watching!